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At the Fispal trade fair running June 23-26, 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil, Tetra Pakannounces the global launch of the ebeam-equipped E3 platform of filling machines. The compact ebeam Lamps from ebeam Technologies, a brand of the COMET Group, replace hydrogen peroxide as the method to sterilize the packaging material. The use of electron beam allows Tetra Pak's customers to reduce their environmental impact while at the same time increase production speed and reduce operating costs. To be ready for the expected medium-term demand for ebeam lamps, the COMET Group is currently expanding production capacity at its site in Flamatt, Switzerland.

At Fispal, the leading trade fair for food, beverages and packaging in Latin America, Tetra Pak presents the market-ready, beverage filling machine Tetra Pak® E3 for the first time. This machine platform uses electron beam to kill potentially harmful bacteria on the packaging material and thereby sterilize it. The compact, sealed ebeam Lamps which enable this new era in the history of filling machines, are the result of a unique development partnership between COMET and Tetra Pak.

The compact ebeam technology, which made its début at Anuga 2012 and has been brought to market readiness in just three years, offers Tetra Pak's customers a whole range of benefits. Only the ebeam lamps from COMET make it possible to accelerate production speed to a remarkable 40,000 portion packs per hour (+60%). Market tests have shown this increased capacity and energy efficiency can save customers a significant amount in operational costs. They no longer have to trade a reduction in environmental impact for a reduction in throughput or an increase in cost. Now they can have both.

“This is a very exciting development,” says Charles Brand, Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations and Product Management at Tetra Pak. “Tetra Pak E3 not only delivers significant cost and environmental benefits to our customers, it also marks the start of a new era in the world of carton packaging. The efficiency and effectiveness of filling equipment has just taken a major step forward.”

The launch of Tetra Pak E3 at Fispal follows successful pilots with some of the world’s leading dairy producers, such as Rajo in Slovakia, which used the machine to produce more than 110 million packages. To satisfy the medium-term growth in demand, the COMET Group is currently expanding its production capacities. In the medium to long term, there are also plans to build an extension at the Flamatt site.

Other applications in the pipeline

The unique combination of economic and ecological benefits makes the innovative ebeam technology an attractive alternative to many existing production methods – not just in the area of chemical-free sterilization. For this reason, COMET Group has created a team of ebeam business developers, scientists, engineers, and project leaders with the mission to fill the pipeline with new applications.

“ebeam has enormous potential and we will be systematically developing this potential over the coming years,” said Charles Flükiger, President X-Ray & eBeam Technologies at the COMET Group. “The technology is both ecologically and economically attractive. We intend to expand this area of business by consistently creating new applications. The recent acquisition of US system-integrator PCT Engineered Systems was a crucial step in this direction.”

The COMET Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of systems and components for the non-destructive testing, security and semiconductor markets. Since acquiring the YXLON group, COMET has been the global market leader in X-ray-based non-destructive testing and examination. With core competencies in vacuum technology, high-voltage engineering and materials science and with core products that include X-ray tubes and vacuum capacitors, COMET is a one-stop provider of a complete and highly flexible range of components, modules, systems and services. The activities are grouped into three segments: X-Ray & eBeam Technologies (under the COMET and eBeam brands), Plasma Control Technologies (under the COMET brand) and X-Ray Systems (under the YXLON brand).

COMET was founded in 1948 and is based in Flamatt, near Berne, Switzerland. The COMET Group has a presence in all world markets. The company operates production facilities in Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, China and the USA and maintains other subsidiaries in the USA, China, Japan and Korea. COMET’s stock (COTN) is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.